Pernell McPhee developed into a very good situational pass rusher last year, his fourth season in Baltimore. But the Ravens aren’t expecting him back for a fifth season.
McPhee, who becomes a free agent on March 10, is expecting a contract worth $8 million to $10 million a year in free agency, according to the Baltimore Sun, and that is a contract the Ravens can’t afford.
Frankly, if McPhee thinks he’s going to get anything close to $10 million a year, he probably has overestimated his worth. McPhee is a good player -- No. 15 in our NFL free agent top 100 -- but he’s only a part-time player who played less than half the Ravens’ defensive snaps last season. Teams generally don’t break the bank for players who spend more time on the sideline than on the field.
The flip side is, McPhee is right at his prime at 26 years old and is coming off a season in which he had 7.5 sacks. Even if McPhee isn’t going to make quite as much as he thinks, he’s probably going to get a better offer elsewhere than the Ravens can afford to match.